The dropper seatpost is arguably the most hotly contested mountain bike component these days. Despite improvements in reliability over the last two years, there’s still room for refinements, particularly in ergonomics.
FSA hopes its latest stab at a dropper will garner OEM and aftermarket sales from some of the better-known brands.
FSA Flowtron highlights
- 125 and 150mm versions
- Dedicated 1x remote with split clamp
- Cable-actuated
- Adjustable spring tension
- Claimed weight: 560g
- Priced at $299 (UK and Australian pricing TBC)
- Available in January 2017
The Flowtron picks up where the lackluster Gravity dropper left off with a host of promising refinements.
The most visible improvement is a dedicated 1x remote. It’s clear that FSA took cues from some of the most popular aftermarket dropper levers, such as the Wolf Tooth ReMote. The Flowtron lever captures the free end of the shift cable with a washer, rather than a cable-crushing set screw. It has a large textured thumb paddle, barrel adjuster, and a split clamp to make installation a breeze.
Moving to the seatpost itself, FSA uses a sealed cartridge to adjust the post height and moved from two to three circular brass keyways to improve durability and reduce play.
FSA uses a cam system to depress the plunger that raises and lowers the seatpost. The company experimented with several materials for the cam, including aluminum and stainless steel before settling on a durable plastic that had better wear properties. One interesting feature is the ability to adjust the spring tension of the cam’s torsion spring. The Flowtron will ship with the spring set to the middle position, but if you prefer an ultralight lever feel or if you want more forceful lever return, you can adjust it to suit your needs.
FSA will offer the Flowtron in 125 and 150mm versions and in 30.9 and 31.6mm diameters. According to FSA, the Flowtron weighs in the neighborhood of 560g, depending on the stroke and diameter.
The Flowtron will retail for $299 with the remote when it hits retailers in January of 2018.
